LANSING – State Representative Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland) today voted in support of a bill that requires the people or organizations that are behind automated political phone calls – also known as "robocalls" – to disclose their identities.
"Anonymous robocalls are disruptive and misleading, and they do nothing to serve the people of Michigan," LeBlanc said. "Requiring the people and organizations who pay for these calls to identify themselves will bring more transparency to our political process. This is the right thing to do for our residents in Westland and all across Michigan."
The bill requires that a person or organization paying for automated political phone calls must clearly identify themselves at the beginning of the call. It also would prohibit the calls between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. Other forms of electronic political communication – such as e-mails – also would require a disclaimer under the bill. A person who violates the provisions of the bill would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.
Robocalls are commonly used to anonymously attack political candidates and purposely mislead voters. Several states already have enacted anti-political robocall measures, including Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.
"No one should be able to use our residents' own phones against them to disrupt the time they have to spend with their families," LeBlanc said. "Anonymous callers affiliated with any political telephone message must be forced to identify themselves. The people of Michigan deserve to know who's calling them, especially when the information being spread is dishonest and deceitful."